The Fox's Chrysanthemum
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: AU. Set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom. Rangiku had been alone until he found her, and it changed things for them both.
1. Dawn

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Dawn**

She was alone and near dead when he found her. Rangiku had been alone long enough that she didn't know if she was an orphan or had simply been abandoned. It didn't really matter anyway. She remembered blacking out while on the road. When Rangiku opened her eyes again, there was a silver haired boy standing above her, offering her some fruit. He waited while she ate, introducing himself.

"I'm Gin Ichimaru."

"Rangiku Matsumoto," she replied between bites.

"You're on your own then?"

She nodded. Gin was a sort of funny name when she thought about it. And he looked a little odd with his smile and closed eyes. But she wasn't going to tell him that. Not after he had offered her food. Gin appeared to be studying her. It didn't take her long to finish the persimmon he had given her, and while it helped, Rangiku was still hungry. Gin looked up at the sky and then reached out a hand to her.

"It's gonna rain, Ran-chan. We should get under shelter."

Rangiku didn't even hesitate. She slid her hand into this strange boy's and followed him as he started running into the woods. The rain had already started by the time they reached the little shack. Gin pulled her inside as it began to really pour. Rangiku peered around the room. It was clear that Gin had been living here for a while. She could see a makeshift pallet and the remains of a fire as well as a cache of food. It wasn't exactly luxury, but it was more than Rangiku could remember having.

Later she would realize that Gin had never actually invited her to stay. She just had, and Gin had not protested nor tried to make her leave. It was simply as if she belonged here with him. The food didn't go as far with two mouths, but Rangiku found that her presence did seem to make some of the work easier for Gin. It wasn't an easy life for either of them, but at least it was better than the alternatives. Rangiku liked it better than being on her own. The one thing that worried her was the fact that sometimes Gin would just disappear without a word. He always came back, but sometimes he was gone for days at a time. Rangiku always worried that some day he wouldn't come back.

She didn't know what she would do if that ever happened. Somehow Gin had become her touchstone. He was her proof that she wasn't always on her own. As time passed, he taught her how to do everything from navigating the forest around them and recognizing edible plants to cooking fish over their little fire. He also insisted on teaching her a number of ways of getting away from an attacker. Rangiku wasn't sure why. She had never run into anyone other Gin in her time with him. The last time she had seen another person besides him had been when she passed through a village almost a full six days before Gin had found her.

Honestly, Rangiku didn't mind too much. For the most part, villagers had rarely been kind to her. Here she didn't need to be worried about being hit or kicked, and while perhaps she could have managed just as well if she had made it to a city, Rangiku was happy where she was. And Gin seemed to enjoy her being here too, so she didn't really need to worry about anything else. As long as the two of them were happy and fed, Rangiku couldn't really see things changing. They had pretty much the whole forest to themselves, and life was good. As winter approached it got colder, but between their fire and their shared body heat, the two of them were quite cozy.

It was home, and that was more than Rangiku had ever had before.


	2. Daybreak

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Daybreak**

Gin had been taken by surprise at how nice it was to have Rangiku around. When he had fed her and given her shelter, he hadn't really expected to keep her. But he was rather glad that he had. He hadn't realized how much better it was with two until he had her around. While it was true that it was harder to feed them both instead just himself, Gin found that there were other things that more than made up for that. Rangiku was a much sunnier personality than he was, and she brought something to their little home that he could not. There was also the fact that she never showed any trace of fear of him.

He was used to people fearing him. Gin was aware of the fact that he didn't exactly look normal with his closed eyes and perpetual grin. The closed eyes were better than the reaction he got when he left them open. Save for Rangiku. The one time he had slipped and opened his eyes in her presence she had exclaimed over how pretty they were. It had completely startled him. But then Rangiku seemed completely content with who he was. Either that or she was completely unaware of how odd he was. There were times Gin did worry about her though.

While it didn't often happen, sometimes Gin did run into adults in the woods. They weren't a threat to him; Gin had proved that several times. But Rangiku had an innocence about her that could make her a target, and he wasn't sure that she could fight off an opponent. He had a feeling that if she was truly in danger, Ran would prove to be quite a fighter, but she might not recognize danger when she encountered it. And her kindness could very well be her downfall. Still, Gin didn't want her to lose that innocence and kindness. It was part of what made her Rangiku.

One of these days, though, someone was going to find them. Gin wasn't sure what they were going to do then. Once this place wasn't a secret anymore, it would lose its greatest defense. He wanted to have a plan for when that happened. Besides, there was more to the world than just this forest. They couldn't live in isolation forever. There was time to make plans though. Gin figured that they would remain here over the winter at least, and he would do some investigating before they went anywhere.

"Gin? The fish are about ready." Rangiku called from outside.

They cooked outside when they could. It was easier that way, and it made clean up quicker. He had managed to catch several fish from the river, and Ran had gotten to be pretty good about cooking. They sat in silence as they ate and the sky began to dim. It didn't take long for the stars and a sliver of the moon to illuminate the sky. Rangiku lay back in the grass with a sigh, peering up at the stars.

"Do you remember much about before? I mean before it was just you." Rangiku's voice was soft and a little hesitant. She didn't often pry into his past.

Gin shrugged. "Nope."

He had been on his own for as long as he could remember. He had run across others like him from time to time, but the only one who had ever stayed and who he had ever wanted to stay was Rangiku. Companionship wise, she was all he really needed. Ran might not be the smartest person in the world or the most entertaining, but she genuinely liked and cared about him. It was something Gin had never had before, and it was something he wanted to keep.


	3. Sunrise

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Sunrise**

Rangiku had not been alert when it happened. After all, she and Gin had been living in these woods for over a year, and she had never once seen a soul besides the two of them. So it was understandable that she wasn't paying to much attention to her surroundings. The thug that grabbed her from behind completely took her by surprise. Of course, even a surprised Rangiku had instincts. She fought like a cat, all claws and teeth. Rangiku even managed to hit him in the privates. That at least got the man to release her from his grip. Unfortunately, for her, Rangiku was too winded to really get away.

A blow to her head sent her reeling to the ground. Rangiku bit her lip and tried to scramble away, but one of them grabbed her feet. He laughed at her attempts to free herself and hauled her up off the ground, dangling her upside down.

"We've got a little fighter here, huh? What's your name, pretty?"

Rangiku snarled at him. He just laughed.

"You won't be so feisty when we're done with you. Not bad looking for a kid though. Too bad you don't have much in the way of assets yet. Ah well."

Before he could get any further with his plans though, he was attacked. Rangiku found herself tumbling to the ground, jarred and winded. She rolled out of the way of the ongoing fight, looking up to find it was Gin who had attacked the man. Not only that, Gin was clearly having better luck in this fight than the older man. It didn't make sense that a child was winning against an adult, but Rangiku wasn't going to complain. She didn't know where Gin had gotten the knife he was using either, but he was making good use of it. The man who had been holding her was down, and Rangiku didn't think he would be getting up any time soon. One of the other two was bleeding pretty badly, and his compatriot simply took off.

Part of Rangiku thought she should be a little concerned about Gin's ruthlessness and lack of mercy, but these men had wanted to hurt her. That much had been clear to the girl. Besides, even if Gin had attacked and killed these men, she had no reason to fear him. He would not hurt her. Rangiku knew that in every fiber of her being. For her, Gin meant safety. The fight didn't last long. When it was over, Gin came over to her, and Rangiku couldn't help herself. She wrapped him in a tight hug.

Gin hugged her back, just as tight, then pulled back to inspect her for injuries. They didn't actually talk about what happened. When he was satisfied that she was not seriously hurt, the two of them made their way over to the stream to both get cleaned up. Rangiku noticed that Gin kept her within grabbing distance the entire time, and when they headed back to their humble abode, he kept a tight grip on her hand. She wasn't going to complain about that. It was comforting.

The evening was a little more subdued than normal, and Gin didn't complain when Rangiku moved their pallets together. She didn't know if she was going to have trouble sleeping or not, but if she did, she knew that being close to Gin would help. Besides, he didn't seem to have any complaints about her sticking close. If anything, he seemed to be keeping her closer than normal. Maybe he had been scared too. Rangiku blinked at that thought.

That would mean she meant something to Gin. She had never asked, but she had hoped. After all, he had let her stay with him for over a year now. Of course, there was always the off chance that Gin simply wanted companionship of some sort. Still, it would be nice to mean something to someone. Gin was the only constant that she had ever really known other than hunger. And Gin was much nicer than that. She didn't think she ever wanted to do without Gin.

Rangiku curled up in bed that night barely a finger length away from her friend. She knew that the attack earlier today had changed something, and that their peaceful existence here might not last much longer. But as long as Gin was at her side, Rangiku didn't think it really mattered.


	4. Morning

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Morning**

Gin was going to miss this place. It had been a good home base. However, he and Ran really did need to move on. It was as safe as it used to be here, and Gin wasn't going to risk Rangiku. He also wanted a chance to improve his own skills. He had been lucky that day those thugs had stumbled across Rangiku. He had surprise on his side then and he had been armed where they hadn't been. If things had been a little different, he wouldn't have been able to protect Rangiku. Which meant that he needed to find a way to become stronger and more skillful.

He actually had some ideas about that. But first things first. They needed a new safe place to live. Keeping Ran safe was important. Thankfully, he had been giving thought to this problem for a while now. Gin had some short term contingency plans in case something had ever happened, and they had lost the shelter of the shack. He would be using them to keep the two of them sheltered while he figured out where to go from here. As much as he disliked the idea, Gin was pretty certain that they would need to move into a more populated area. He had some ideas about that as well.

The capitol wasn't all that far from here, and it was probably the biggest city in the country. The bigger the city the easier it would be for the two of them to blend in and not be noticed. There was another reason to go to the capitol though. That was where the Shinigami Knights had their headquarters. The Shinigami Knights were the only order of knighthood that you didn't have to be born a noble to join. They would take anyone provided that they had talent. And Gin had talent. The only question was how to keep Rangiku safe in the meantime.

That was one of the dangers in moving to the city. There would be more people who might try and take advantage of Ran. Gin was not blind. Rangiku was a fairly pretty girl right now. In a few more years though, she was probably going to be stunning. Moreover, Rangiku was curious as a cat. Gin had no doubts that left on her own with nothing to do in the city, Rangiku could probably find trouble quite easily. She was also good at getting herself out of situations at times, but Gin did not want to rely on that. All it took was one mistake, and he would lose her.

He really hadn't intended to become so attached to Rangiku. She had somehow wormed her way into his heart though, and Gin wasn't sure now what he would do without her. Rangiku was the one thing that he didn't seem to be able to give up. He had some spent time with other people before he'd lived on his own, but there had never been a bond like the one between him and Rangiku. When he had saved her life that day, it had been a spur the moment decision. When he had taken her home, Gin had assumed she'd leave eventually. Except she hadn't, and from the looks of things, Rangiku wasn't going to leave him.

It was nice to know that he had something that would stay the same no matter what happened. Rangiku was a constant, and he had never really had one before. With a sigh, Gin shook his head. That was neither here nor there right now. If they were going to leave, they needed supplies for the journey, and they were going to need to figure out what to take with them. Between the two of them, they didn't have much in the way of belongings, but having to carry any amount of things would slow them down some. They would need to bring the bedding with them, and that was the heaviest of their belongings.

A pair of hands landed on his shoulders, and Rangiku peered over them to see if he was looking at anything.

"Ne, Gin, what are you doing?"

There was that curiosity again. He covered one of her hands with his own. "Just thinking, Ran-chan. What do you think about going on a trip?"


	5. Noon

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Noon**

Life in the capitol city wasn't quite what Rangiku had expected. Of course, she didn't really have much to basis her perceptions on. The biggest place she had ever been before this could only charitably be called a town. The capitol city really was a city, and there were all sorts of things to see. Rangiku hadn't inquired about how Gin had gotten them the little room at an inn near one of the gardens. She didn't really care. It was simply amazing to see all the different plants and flowers spread out through the garden, and there were all sorts of people who would be walking through it.

All the noise and bustle took some getting used to, but Rangiku didn't really mind. There was always something going on around here. She could watch out their window for hours and never get bored. Of course, there were some drawbacks. Gin seemed convinced that she was going to get herself lost if he let her out of his sight. Just because she didn't exactly have the best sense of direction didn't mean she couldn't navigate her way around places. She just took scenic detours more often than not. Also, despite the fact that they lived together, she saw less of Gin these days.

Rangiku didn't know what Gin spent his time doing, but that wasn't that surprising. He had often disappeared on her when they lived in the shack. He had always come back, and that was what was really important. Though Rangiku did rather wish she had something to spend her time doing. It wasn't like she had any obligations or tasks to fulfill. Mostly, she passed her time by people watching. Sometimes Rangiku wandered around the area near their inn, but she was careful not to go too far and not to let Gin know. She didn't want to worry him.

There were times when she wondered why he worried so much about her. No one else had ever bothered. With a sigh, Rangiku turned away from the window and made a face at herself in the mirror. She was going to need new clothes soon. Her yukata was pretty worn, and Gin's really wasn't that much better. They also only had one haori between them, and when winter hit, she wasn't sure that was going to be enough. She hoped Gin had some ideas about what they were going to do for money for that sort of thing. Rangiku had yet to come up with an idea that would work.

She stretched out on her futon and closed her eyes. She must have drifted off because she woke to the sight of a shock of silver hair and a familiar smile.

"Hungry, Ran-chan?"

Her stomach rumbled in answer. Gin's smile widened. He stepped back to reveal their supper set on the low table in the corner of the room. They didn't often eat downstairs in the common room. The two of them quickly set upon the meal. Neither of them engaged in conversation during their meals. They had both learned to eat what they had when they could early on in their lives. Afterwards though, Gin produced the treat of little cakes with sweet bean paste inside. When those were finally gone, he spoke.

"Ne, Ran-chan, what would you think about becoming an apprentice?"

She looked over at him. "What sort of apprentice? It might be neat. It would be nice to have something to do."

"We-ll," he drew out the word. "I've been accepted as a recruit for the Shinigami Knights, but I didn't want to accept unless you had someplace too. I can't take you with me, you see. I found a lady how should an interest in speaking to you about an apprenticeship though. It would be an interesting job."

That didn't really tell her what the job was though. It didn't exactly surprise Rangiku though. Gin was the master of keeping secrets. She had been a little startled at his interest in the Shinigami Knights, but it did make sense. Rangiku knew he would make for a good knight. Still, it would mean that she wouldn't see him as much. In that case, it would make sense for her to get some sort of job, and it would give her a way to make a living on her own. Sometimes she felt bad about depending on Gin for everything.

"All right. So when do I get to meet this lady?"


	6. Afternoon

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Afternoon**

This was not what Rangiku had expected. However, she found that being an apprentice geisha rather suited her. It was hard work, but also a lot of fun at times. And Rangiku never needed to worry about going hungry now. Lady Ayame was strict, but she was also kind, and Rangiku had learned a lot in her first year. She didn't see Gin as much any more, but half the time she was too busy to worry about that. Rangiku knew that Gin was just as busy with his own training. They both had their own trades to learn.

Being a geisha was much more complicated than simply looking pretty. And even looking pretty could be hard work. Rangiku found herself in lessons concerning music, dance, and literature, not mention manners and conversation. Once she had mastered her first set of lessons, Rangiku knew that she would be receiving one on one training for things like the tea ceremony with Lady Ayame. She also was required to assist her "older sister" with preparing for her appointments. Rangiku had to admit she was definitely learning a lot.

There were a second set of lessons she was getting as well, though those weren't quite as frequent. Gin seemed determined that she know how to use just about all of the weapons he could. There were times when she thought he was a little paranoid, but it didn't hurt to know how to defend herself. With a sigh, Rangiku shook her head and turned her attention back to the music she was studying. It was hard to believe that she had been at this for nearly two years now. Rangiku knew that if she proved competent, in the next few years she would become a maiko. That would be the last stage of her training before becoming a full geisha.

She still had a lot of work to do before she got that far though. Setting her shamisen on her lap, Rangiku began the piece of music once again. This time she was going to get it perfect.

* * *

Gin was sore, out of breath, and tired, but he wasn't about to concede this fight yet. He had been singled out for the advanced sword class early on, and he wasn't about to give in even if his opponent was older and larger than him. Gin knew that to attract the kind of attention he needed to, he had to be exceptional. Sword fighting wasn't the only thing that he had been singled out for.

He had been barely there for a month when several of the senior captains had approached him about training as one of the Shinigami Knights intelligence officers. Apparently, some of the knights were rather concerned about the activities one of their own members, and they needed an operative who wasn't already a part of their intelligence division. Gin had agreed, and he found that the work suited him. The position also provided him with a better ability to keep Rangiku's existence quiet. He knew very well that Ran was an avenue of attack if someone wanted to hurt him.

There were other reasons to keep Rangiku secret as well. Due to her own position, she was much more in touch with what was going on in the general public than he was. Gin could move inside the court and the other knights with impunity, but at times getting information about merchants or other middle class groups could be difficult. Rangiku heard things simply by the virtue of what she was, and she had means of getting information that he didn't. She could be an incredible asset in that.

He also didn't want the knight he was investigating to know about her. As far as Sir Aizen knew right now, Gin was completely on his own in the world. And if he was going to keep Sir Aizen's interest, he needed to win this fight.


	7. Evening

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Evening**

Rangiku did her best to keep from fidgeting or playing with the sleeve of her formal kimono. She was a little nervous, but she was determined not to let it show. This was her first appointment as a full geisha. It was also her first appointment with her patron. Rangiku wasn't quite sure how she had ended up with a patron, so early in her career, but she wasn't going to complain. Not when her patron had paid all the expenses she had incurred as an apprentice and then gone on to provide her with the beginnings of her own wardrobe. Oh, she still had the resources of her okiya at her disposal, but Rangiku enjoyed having something of her own as well.

Especially since she knew that she would leave her profession at some point. Geisha did not marry, and she hoped to. Rangiku had comes to terms with the fact that she was in love with Gin. Hopefully, one day they would be able to have a life together even if right now that wasn't a possibility. She had seen very little of him since he had become a full knight last year. Rangiku knew that he was busy, but she still missed him. The last time she had seen him was nearly four months ago now, and he had just been made a division lieutenant. Rangiku was quite proud of him.

The garden was beautiful in the autumn. Rangiku's kimono reflected the reds, oranges, and yellows of the maple trees around her. She hoped her patron would hurry up and arrive. Waiting was one of the few things that tended to make her nervous.

"Ne, Ran-chan, you look a little lonely."

Only her training kept her from starting. Once again, Gin had sneaked up on her from behind. Rangiku turned around to find her friend grinning his usual grin and wearing a captain's haori. She beamed.

"You made captain!"

Gin reached out and tapped her nose. "And you're a full geisha. Not bad for a pair of uncivilized orphans."

Rangiku laughed. "I wished you had let me know sooner. I have an appointment with my patron, but we need to celebrate."

His grin morphed from the regular mask he wore to a real smile. "Not a problem, Ran-chan, or should I call you Lady Kiku from now on."

"I've always been Ran-chan to you." Rangiku's eyes widened as she caught his implication. "You're my patron?"

He nodded and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "I wasn't going to let anyone else take the position."

They began walking together through the gardens. Rangiku couldn't help remember that these were the very gardens she had so often watched when they had first arrived in the capitol.

"Ne, Ran-chan, I may need your help with a few things."

That caught her attention. "What sort of things?"

"Well you see…"


	8. Sunset

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Sunset**

Gin did his best not to be noticed as he slipped out of the Shinigami Knights' compound. Things were beginning to pick up speed, and he needed to get the next few things put into place before anything else happened. The princess was not quite old enough for them to worrying about her education, but she would be soon enough. Gin didn't know the princess personally, but he rather doubted that she was the docile, shy, bookworm she appeared to be. Kyoraku would not have been so fond of her if she was. Furthermore, most people forgot that until Kyoraku's banishment, she had been trained in kidou by the Shinigami Knights.

No, Crown Princess Nanao would not be the easy pawn that Aizen expected. Even with taking away the support of the royal champion, the little girl was much more than she appeared. She was also extremely intelligent from the reports her tutors gave. And it wouldn't be long before Aizen realized that her intelligence was a threat and wanted her school in the more "ladylike" skills. That was where Rangiku came in. She knew everything there was about proper manners and entertaining. Furthermore, people tended to dismiss Ran's intelligence due to her pretty face.

Ran would be the perfect tutor for the princess if she was willing. With that in mind, Gin slipped silently through the streets, heading for a house he knew very well. While it was true that his visits to Rangiku were infrequent, he typically managed to see her at least once every two months or so. Rangiku had been feeding him information about the state of things in the merchant classes for several years now as well as any other useful tidbits she picked up. Her own network of informants had become invaluable to him. What was even better was no one knew where he got that information from.

It was easy enough for Gin to slip into Rangiku's private rooms in the house. She wouldn't be home yet, but he could wait. No one would be looking for him tonight, and this was more than just a business call. It didn't take him long to lay out Ran's futon and find a book to entertain himself with until she arrived. That didn't take long either. Within an hour the door to the room slid open, and Rangiku stepped through, dressed in a simple yukata. She did not seem that startled to see him. Of course, she was used to him popping in on her like this now.

She sat down on the futon beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So is this a business visit or a social one?"

"A little bit of both, Ran-chan. I wanted to run an idea by you. Then we have until morning to ourselves."

Gin dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and Rangiku nuzzled his neck.

"So what's this idea?"


	9. Twilight

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Twilight**

Rangiku hid a smile as Nanao easily made small talk with Dr. Kurosaki. The princess had taken to her lessons very well. She really was a sweet girl, but very few people saw past the mask of the shy, intellectual that she wore. Nanao was also incredibly sharp. It had taken her very little time to see the value in what Rangiku had proposed to teach her. And she was all for deceiving those around her. Nanao trusted nearly no one as far as Rangiku could tell. Rangiku counted herself to be among the lucky few. She was definitely one of the few people that Nanao trusted that princess actually had access to. With her champion shipped off to foreign lands and the Shinigami Knights forbidden from the palace grounds, the girl was mostly without allies.

The geisha found she liked the princess far more than she had expected to, and the girl was going to be a very good queen if she survived this. And the girl's bond with her champion reminded Rangiku very much of her relationship with Gin. There were differences of course, but there were also similarities. Rangiku wondered if Nanao realized that she was already half in love with her champion. The older woman didn't know if that was a relationship that would work out, but the girl deserved to have someone who loved her in her life. However, none of this was important right this minute.

Once the appointment had ended, the two women headed back to the okiya. Rangiku watched her young charge closely. In the last year or so, Nanao clearly established herself as a young woman, not a girl. Rangiku had no doubt that by her next birthday the subject of marriage would begin to come up. Rangiku also had no doubt that Nanao wasn't about to let any one make the decision of who her husband would be for her. In fact, Rangiku was planning on working with Nanao on some strategies to manage that. Rangiku was convinced that if they wanted the kingdom to actually be livable for the ordinary person, they needed Nanao on the throne.

Things here in the capitol were fine for now, but the rest of the country was in trouble. And thanks to Gin, Rangiku had a pretty good idea of who was behind most of it. Rangiku wasn't sure what Aizen was trying to accomplish, but thankfully, figuring that out wasn't her problem. No, she just was responsible for making sure that the heir to the kingdom did turn into a useless ornament or someone's puppet, and that was work enough for her.


	10. Dusk

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Dusk**

Everything was going to change tonight. Gin had known it was coming. Once Kyoraku had been back on the scene it was only a matter of time before the Crown Princess put an end to Aizen's attempts to marry her off. Even if Rangiku hadn't warned him about the princess' affection for her champion, Gin would have seen this outcome. Shunsui Kyoraku was actually the most logical candidate for the princess' husband in the first place. Aizen wasn't happy it, but there was nothing he could do to stop the match other than killing the princess or the Kyoraku (not easy tasks). His only choice would be to cause as much disruption as he could and flee the country ahead of his plans.

And that meant this was most likely Gin's last night here. It wasn't an idea he liked, but he knew it was necessary. Aizen wasn't going to be stopped without the inside information Gin could provide, and if the man wasn't stopped, the consequences would not be good for Seireitei. And they wouldn't be good for Rangiku. Gin was all too aware of what could happen to a woman like Rangiku if Aizen took over. Aizen didn't care about what happened to the people of Seireitei save for how it effected his plans. Gin was all too aware if Aizen knew just how important Rangiku was to him, the man wouldn't hesitate to use her against him.

Gin slipped into position. He had already informed Rangiku of Aizen's plans, and she would be spread the warning. There were times when it was exhausting playing two roles. Tonight he would have to be all over the place, and there would be very little time to say goodbye to Ran. He didn't want to leave her without saying goodbye. He didn't know when he would be able to come home, and there were a few things that she needed to know. He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

When the opportunity to speak to Ran finally occurred, he took it. It wasn't as private as he would have liked, but he didn't really have a choice at this point. Her face stay calm as he explained, but her hand tightened around her wrist.

"I'll come back to you as soon as I can, Ran-chan. I promise."

Rangiku nodded silently before pulling him down for a searing kiss. As he left to rejoin Aizen, Gin took her parting words with him.

"I love you, Gin."


	11. Night

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom.

* * *

**Night**

Rangiku sighed and put down her pen. Her hand was cramping, and it was getting late. She could finish the reports in the morning. There were times when she regretted being put in charge of the Seireitei's spy networks; it was a great deal more work than she really liked. Still, she was quite good at it, and truthfully, Rangiku wasn't sure if her queen would trust anyone else with the job. So far, Nanao had done a very good job ruling the country. It hadn't been easy. There had been a reprieve after Aizen had left, but none of them were foolish enough to believe that he was done with them.

No, they all had spent that time preparing for the war that they knew was coming. Rangiku had been a little surprised when Gin's contacts started to come to her with information, but before long she was used to it. And then carefully coded messages from Gin himself began to arrive. Over the past two years, those messages had saved them lives and wasted time. Gin had been able to send them almost complete battle plans as well as alert them to Aizen's own spies in their midst. His help had been invaluable.

She missed him horribly though. Even only seeing Gin every few months had been better than this. At least Rangiku didn't have to worry about what would happen when he came back. Nanao had already assured her that she had a full pardon ready and waiting for Gin. That was at least one worry taken care of. And Rangiku did worry. As much as she knew that they needed the information that Gin was getting them, she worried about what could happen to him. If Aizen found out what he was doing or if he got capture by their side before they knew he was on their side, she could lose him forever. Rangiku didn't know what she would do if that happened.

It took only a few minutes for Rangiku to tuck away her work and blow out most of the lamps. She yawned and headed for her bed. The dim light of her lamp through shadows around the room, but even without it, Rangiku would have gone for her short sword. There was someone in her bed. Sword drawn and in hand, Rangiku crept closer. Her eyes caught sight of a few stains on the sheets. The person was injured whoever it was. The dim light of the lamp reflected off the person's hair. Rangiku took in a sudden breath and dropped to her knees. Setting the lamp aside, she reached out a trembling hand to touch the man's hair.

Her wrist was caught before her fingers had even made contact.

"Gin."

Dark red eyes met her own. "Ran."

Instead of releasing her, Gin pulled her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"You're hurt."

Gin shrugged. "It's just a flesh wound. Aizen's the one with several holes in him. I didn't stick around to see how he was doing."

He tugged on her wrist, pulling her down onto the futon beside him. Rangiku snuggled against him, content to listen to his heartbeat. There were questions that needed to be answered and things that had to be discussed, but all that could wait until tomorrow.


	12. Midnight

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in the same universe as Tales of the Kingdom. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story.

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**Midnight**

With a gentle smile that only one woman had ever seen, Gin slid into bed and draped an arm over Rangiku's gravid stomach. They hadn't exactly planned on this pregnancy, but Gin wasn't going to complain. At this rate, the war was probably going to be over before the baby was born. Aizen had survived, sadly, but he wasn't doing so well. His had started to fall apart, and his allies were deserting him.

Rangiku turned and snuggled into his embrace. Gin let out a soft sigh. He had missed her. Things just had not felt right when he was away from her. His return to Seireitei six months ago had been unexpected. Gin had hoped to still be feeding information to the Shinigami Knights at this point. However, Aizen had gotten a little too suspicious of him and had finally remembered that Gin wasn't exactly a trustworthy person. Aizen had ended up with several holes in him, and Gin had had to flee. Aizen had probably gotten the worse end of the deal.

Gin's defection had been the start of all sorts of problems for Aizen. It had been the sign of weakness some of his allies had been waiting for. Aizen was a leader because he had been powerful and people were afraid of him. When that got undermined, Aizen found himself facing internal problems as well as external. It was working out rather well.

He had been a little surprised at the welcome he'd received when he had returned. Not only had he been greeted with a full pardon, but he had immediately been tossed into working with Rangiku on the spy networks. Queen Nanao had also expressed the sentiment that he had better get his act together and make his and Rangiku's relationship permanent. Not that Gin had been adverse to that idea at all. So he and Rangiku had married a month or two after his return.

And now they were expecting a child. It was a little overwhelming. When he had stopped and saved the starving Rangiku, he had never expected this would be the outcome. Gin wasn't that upset about it though. Saving Ran had lead to an interesting life, and Gin had enjoyed it so far. He doubted that their future would be any less interesting.

Ran murmured sleepily and shifted closer to him. Gin pressed a kiss to her cheek. No, this was not what he had expected when he had saved Rangiku, but he wasn't going to complain about the results.


End file.
